


Meant for me, meant for you

by shadowweaver



Category: Naruto
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Demons, M/M, Molestation, Mpreg, Parenthood, Single Parents, Underage Sex, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-12
Updated: 2016-05-29
Packaged: 2018-05-26 05:56:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6226579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowweaver/pseuds/shadowweaver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shikamaru is a demon with no memory of where he came from or who he is. After walking the world alone for as long as he can remember, he just so happens to stumble across a human child that was left for dead. And it would seem that fate has brought them together for a reason...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

I found him in a dumpster outside of the mall on my way home. Any regular human would have missed him, if I hadn't walked by at that particular time, he would have surely died. I don't know what prompted me to take the baby home. Despite what others believed, I had a heart. It just didn't beat like a living one would. But I felt compassion. 

And maybe a twinge of loneliness. I've walked this world for centuries. I'm completely in the dark about basic things about myself like my real name, my actual age, or where I came from. 

So I call myself Shikamaru. I don't know how old I really am, but I've been able to pass for someone who's between sixteen and twenty one, depending on if I shave or not. I assume my memory deteriorated sometime in my past or something happened to block out the beginning of my life...if there is a beginning, that is. It's hard to believe that I haven't always been here. Just wandering the planet.

There were others like me--they lived in the Night World. Don't let the name fool you, it wasn't some sort of alternate universe. It was a string of underground cities where the supernatural dwelled. We created our own world to live separate from humans with little to no interaction. I let my own city a few centuries back when a civil war broke out between demons and vampires. That kind of stuff was too much of a drag to be around. Besides, I didn't give a damn about either side.

The baby’s cries jolt me out of my daydream and I rock him gently as we stroll through the city. My apartment is only three blocks over, we can surely get there safe.

“It's alright,” I whisper to him. I'd only interacted with babies a handful of times in my life. The youngest looking demon I've ever met resembled a four or five year old girl. With that said, I don't know how to keep a baby happy for very long. 

He was relatively quiet on the way to my apartment. I climbed the stairs slowly once he started to fall asleep in my arms. 

Who could throw out a kid like this? Didn't humans like babies? I couldn't only smell garbage on him--he'd probably been in the trash for hours. Luckily he had teeth, he couldn't have been more than a year old so feeding him would be easy.

I cut up a banana for him and set it down. The baby looked at me with a string of drool trailing down his chin.

“What did I get myself into?” I mumbled.

He grinned and started squirming.

I guess I could see the appeal of babies. Humans were definitely more tolerable when they were clean slates. And even though this kid had been tossed away, he seemed like a clean enough slate.

“You have no idea you were thrown out,” I muttered as I pulled him into my lap. “A boy with no idea who he is or where he comes from. Sounds familiar.”

He started making more noises and fumbling with my hands. Nope, he didn't care that he was an orphan in the slightest.

“I could learn a thing or two from you, kid.”

How could someone throw him out?

There was a twinge in my chest and I paused for a moment. Demons are a peculiar brand--we're soulless beings so you can probably pick up on why the aching in my heart was so alarming.

“How about we give you a name?” I smiled and held him face to face with me. “Would you like that?”

He laughed.

“Thought so. I'm thinkin’...Haku. Do you like that name?”

It was like he could answer me, but it was nice to have some sort of social interaction. I moved from place to place often--I could usually stay in a place for about a decade or so before they start growing suspicious about my lack of visible aging. I didn't visit the Night World often enough to create bonds with anyone there. I usually took a trip there once every few months for supplies. 

“Haku it is,” I wrapped my arms around him. “You're a very lucky boy, Haku. You're not lonely anymore.”


	2. Chapter 2

“He’s a smart boy, he just doesn’t get along with the other students.” The teacher looked at me uneasily fromt the other side of his desk. I knew what he was trying to do--figure out if I was Haku’s brother or father. I looked like I could be both. Haku was seven years old, now, and in second grade. Strangely, the first five years of his life were the easiest to take care of him. I just had to make sure he was fed, clean, and had things to do. I left mental development to the educational shows on the television until he was old enough to start going to school.

It started out fine--he even made a few friends.

To get one thing straight, we didn’t live in the same area as we did when he was a baby. I left that town after his second birthday--which I decided was on January 9th. This was the second town we were living in together. It was smaller than the last--people became aware of us quickly and their skepticism toppled over to their children.

“Mr. Nara, I can see Haku trying desperately to make friends, but he doesn’t know how to speak to the other children. From what I hear from his previous teacher, he had the same problem last year.” I could see the concern on Hashirama’s face. He really did love kids and I could tell that he cared for Haku. It was easy to fall for the little guy. He didn’t say much, but all he had to do was look at you with those big eyes and you were under his spell.

“Look, if we’re bein’ honest, I’m not really one for this parenthood thing,” I admitted to him. “It kind of just sprang up on me one day.”

“I understand that,” He smile and pulled out his wallet to show me a picture of a little boy on a tire swing. “This is my son, Minato. He kind of ‘sprang up’ on me, too. But he’s a blessing.”

So, he had a one night stand and got the girl pregnant, then? Didn’t expect that from a elementary school teacher.

“He’s cute,” I commented.

“Well, the picture is old,” He chuckled, pocketing his wallet. “He just turned twenty-seven at the end of January and he’s already made me a grandfather.”

“You don’t look old enough to have kids that age.” Like I was one to talk.

“I had him young--he had his son young, although his was by choice. I married his high school sweetheart right after graduation.” Judging by the way he sighed, I assumed he didn’t agree with the arrangement. “They had Naruto a year after they got married.”

“So, your grandson is Haku’s age?”

“He’s eight years old, yes. He’s in the grade above, but I think they’ll be holding him back next year,” He chuckled. “He’s a little goofball. Kind of reminds me of myself when I was a kid.”

In the next moment, I noticed his face brighten up.

“I just had an idea,” He tapped the table. “Why don’t we have the boys hang out? Like a play date.”

“Oh, I couldn’t ask for that.”

“It’d be no problem, Naruto’s a loner, too. Maybe they’ll find something they’ve got in common!” He tore a sheet of paper out of his notebook and started scribbling something down on it. “I have him every other weekend, including the one coming up. Why not Saturday?”

“Sir, I don’t think that would work out.” I wanted Haku to have friends, but I already knew Hashirama’s type. If he was pressuring me this heavily already, I didn’t want to know what he’d do if the kids because friends of any sort. “Thank you, though.”

“It couldn’t hurt, Mr. Nara. Listen, just take the number and think about it, alright?” He held out the sheet of paper. “I think this could be really good for Haku’s development.”

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

~~

 

“I’m glad you decided to come,” Hashirama said the words for the seventh time since I arrived while he set down the mug of hot chocolate. The kids were playing in Naruto’s tree house--something Hashirama built with him last year, apparently. I’d always assumed I was really involved in Haku’s life, especially since I was his only guardian. But I never did the things that Hashirama did with Naruto. We didn’t build things or have lessons on right and wrong or read books together.

Is that what raising a human child was all about?

“I’m glad I came. Haku seems to be enjoying himself.” I couldn’t see them. That was the only downside to the treehouse--the two of them were blocked off.

“So, Shikamaru--what happened to Haku’s mother?” He asked the question boldly, but it didn’t surprise me. People usually avoided speaking with me about Haku’s mother (however non-existent she may have been) because they assumed it was a sore subject. Whether she left me high and dry or died, bottom line was I was the only one taking care of the kid.

“He never had one.”

“Ah, I know those types of relationships.” He raised his mug to his lips. “Wife’s distant, doesn’t even look twice at you after a while--trust me, you’re better off single if that was your set up.”

“Was it yours?”

He paused for a moment and a slow smile crept upon his lips. “Not quite. My ex and I fought each other tooth and nail for custody of Minato when he was a kid. Hell, we were both kids ourselves. Her parents were moving across the country and she wanted to take him with her. The only reason I won was because she had a drinking problem. The court generally doesn’t want to give the kid over to the dad if they can help it.”

“Why’s that?”

He shrugged, “Dads just get a bad reputation. But Minato turned out just fine with a single dad and Haku seems like a good kid. Naruto’s definitely warmed up to him.

“It’d be nice to him to have someone to talk to,” I said. “I’ve been his only friend for most of his life.”

“That’s not something to be upset about. Atleast he had a friend--and now he’s got two.”

Haku climbed down from the tree house and sprinted across the grass towards me with Naruto following close behind. 

“Naruto’s got some seeds that he wants to plant,” Haku leaned into me and muttered, shifting his eyes towards Hashirama as he spoke. I guess he got his suspicions from me. He was selective about who he talked to, part of the reason he didn’t have any friends. Naruto was one of the only other people I’ve ever seen him talk to. And even then--I haven’t heard him say actual words to the kid.

“Seeds? What kind?” I asked.

“They’re secret seeds,” Naruto’s voice was obnoxious and intrusive--I had very little doubt that he’d grow up to be a pretty annoying kid. Probably a salesman of some sort--he had the tone for it. “You’ll see when they grow!”

“Well, I’m excited to see the product of your friendship.” Hashirama ruffled Naruto’s hair. “Go on--don’t make a mess!”

“Are you having fun?” I asked, pressing my lips to his forehead. Haku nodded and I smiled at him .”Good, I’ll be here if you need me.”

And with that, he ran off.

When I looked at Hashirama, I noticed something had changed in his expression. He was hiding something from me.

“Something wrong?”

“No, no, it’s nothing, but…” He hesitated for a moment. “I just noticed the way you interact with him.”

“And…?”

“He seems to be really attached to you.”

“He’s just shy.”

“I’m sure that’s what it is,” He said a little too quickly.

 

~~

 

“Haku, I can’t fix it unless you tell me what’s wrong,” I assumed he was more rational than this, but maybe that’s where I made the mistake. Assumptions and kids didn’t really match, since they were so unpredictable. One moment, he was fine, and the next moment he was hiding underneath his covers. I gripped the fabric and tried to tug them back, but he wouldn’t let go. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t say!”

“Haku, tell me what’s wrong.”

“No, you’ll just be mad at me!”

I let go of the sheets and furrowed my eyebrows. I couldn’t see him doing anything that would have been angry with him--Haku didn’t do very many things I had a problem with.

“What are you talking about?”

“Because I did the bad thing today,” He said. “At Naruto’s grandpa’s house.”

“Haku, what did you do?” I grabbed the sheets once more and tugged them down. This time he let go and we made eye contact. I asked him once more. “What did you do?”

“Me and Naruto…” He said. “He told me we had to plant the seed for it to grow.”

The statement made a knot form in my stomach.

“Haku, sweetheart, I need you to tell me truthfully--” I put my hands on his shoulders and turned to face him fully. “Where did you plant the seed?”

I could tell by the look on his face that he knew something was wrong. He lowered his head and sighed before raising a finger and pointing to his stomach.

“And...how did the seed get there?”

This time, he looked up at me.

“Naruto said there was only one way to do it,” He said timidly. “He said it would only work if I did it in my butt.”

There it was. My mouth ran dry.

“He said that’s the way grown-ups did it.”

I stood up and moved to walk to the door when he reached out and caught my wrist. I looked back as he asked where I was going.

“I’m going to start packing. We’re leaving this place.”


	3. Chapter 3

I sat outside the window and contemplated my options. I wasn't generally the violent type, no reason for me to fight humans has ever popped up and I never got involved with human affairs. However I was taking a new approach to life since I was raising a human child. If he was bound by human laws, so was I.

Human law says you’re not supposed to murder people, though.

And if Hashirama were a Night creature, he would have been able to pick up on my killing intent. It didn’t take much time for me to connect what happened to Haku to Hashirama. Naruto had been the one who touched Haku, but he was repeating a behavior that he’d learned from his own grandfather. The proof was right in front of my eyes.

“Disgusting,” I took the cigarette from my lips and exhale a cloud of smoke.

He’ll die tonight.

I don’t know if this is what being a father was supposed to feel like. If I really cared about Haku, I would be with him right now and we would have left town when I found out. But for some reason I felt the need to personally see him suffer.

He must've known he was being watched, because he paused on his way out of the room and looked around skeptically.

I slipped around the back of the house and let my body fade into the shadows. The most useful thing about being a demon was the transportation factor. Wherever there was darkness, we could dissolve and travel through the shadows undetected. Humans saw us as shadows that moved out of the corner of their eyes, but they forgot us quickly. That was the nature of being a Night creature in the human world. Trying to move through life undetected was part of it.

It was easy to get into his house. He didn’t lock any of his windows, just the door. Once I was in, it was just a waiting game.

“Remember, we can’t tell anyone about this.” I heard Hashirama mutter the words to his grandson on the other side of the door. “This is our secret game.”

“Why can’t we tell people?” Naruto asked him. In studying the mental development of human children, I realized that the rate in which they grew to be able to differentiate right from wrong varied from child to child--same as whether or not they recognized it as wrong. Naruto was slow to pick up on most things. It was probably due to some type of learning disability.

“Because they wouldn’t understand it,” Hashirama replied. A few seconds passed by before he said anything else. “Does that feel good, Naruto?”

“I don’t like that--don’t stick that in there.”

I reached out and pushed over a stack of books in the living room. When Hashirama came out of the bedroom, he was only in his underwear and a t-shirt. There was no visible sign of arousal from him, but I could smell Naruto’s. It was faint, since he was still a child and hadn’t gone through puberty. But I knew what was going on.

Hashirama didn’t see me immediately. Primarily because he looked everywhere but up on the ceiling, where I was lingering in a corner right above him. As he continued scanning the room, I decided to move into Naruto’s room.

When Hashirama deemed everything good to go, he came back in.

“I’m sleepy,” Naruto said groggily. “Can I just sleep?”

“Well, I’m sleepy, too,” Hashirama told me. “But you know how hard it is for grandpa to go to sleep without playing with my favorite little man, first. I’m sure you’ve got enough energy.”

“Do you think Haku will come over tomorrow?” Naruto asked him.

I held my breath. It was unnecessary--demons didn’t need to breathe. But hearing Haku’s name caused the reaction.

“I don't know,” Hashirama answered. “Did you enjoy playing with him last weekend?”

Naruto nodded, “But he didn't talk to me in school. I even showed him the game.”

“You did what?”

“Don't worry, I didn't copy our game, Grandpa,” Naruto said the words so cheerfully. The kid had no idea how fucked up this man was. “I planted my seed.”

“Naruto, you didn't do the thing that I do to you, did you?”

“Yes.” He exclaimed at first, but then he lowered his eyes. “Well, he didn't want to put his in me. So, I mine in him. I know why you're always the leader, Grandpa!”

“Naruto, that's--” there was conflict on his face and he kissed Naruto on the forehead. “I have to do something. Goodnight, Naruto.”

As soon as he was out of the room, he pulled out his phone. My phone vibrated in my pocket and almost blew my cover. I slipped into a dark room and went straight for the window.

“Shikamaru speaking,” I said, climbing out the window.

“Mr. Nara, hey!” Hashirama’s voice was cheerful--completely misleading. “I was calling to see if you had any plans for tomorrow night? My son and his husband are coming over for dinner. Naruto's been talking about Haku non-stop.”

“I bet he has,” I muttered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing. I'm not much of a family dinner type of guy…”

“It would just be a couple of hours,” he said. “Please? My son’s dying to meet Naruto’s new little friend.”

Well, I couldn't kill him tonight. He'd called me--I would be on the suspect list for sure. But I didn't want to go to dinner with him and risk Haku feeling unsafe. Even if Naruto's parents were there, I didn't doubt Hashirama had an ulterior motive for inviting us.

“I’ll see if Haku feels up to it and get back to you.”

“Fantastic! Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” i grunted. “See you.”

 

~~

 

Minato Namikaze and Sasuke Uchiha. Those were the names of Naruto's fathers. From the looks of it, Minato's was definitely the biological father. Same blond hair and blue eyes--the kid was the spitting image of his father. And Minato was just as cheerful as Hashirama, which is where my skepticism stemmed from. It couldn't have been only Naruto that Hashirama did this to, right?

“So, where does Naruto's last name come from?” I asked Minato. “Senju, Namikaze, Uzumaki, Uchiha...a lot of names for one family.”

“I have my mother’s last name--Naruto's the same. Kushina was a friend of mine in high school. She agreed to carry our baby.” He rested a hand on Sasuke's arm. “She ended up giving us a precious gift.”

I raised my eyebrow and watched Sasuke’s body language. He didn’t seem half as enthusiastic as Minato. In fact, it seemed like being here was more of an inconvenience to him than anything. He especially didn’t seem to treasure Naruto as much. I can see how someone would chalk it up to Naruto not being his biological son, but even I didn't look at Haku the way Sasuke glared at Naruto.

“Sasuke and I are too attached to our last names to change them, but we figured being together was the only important thing.”

“Are you seeing anyone, Shikamaru?” Sasuke asked me out of the blue. There wasn't any hint of interest in his voice that I could pick up on, so it was most likely just an attempt to change the subject.

“I'm not one for dating.” 

“You're a handsome man,” Hashirama said. “I'm sure some guy will--”

“Actually I'm not interested in men,” I told him. 

He and Minato exchanged glances. “Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to assume. I just thought that Haku might have learned the behavior from you.”

“The behavior?” I furrowed my eyebrows.

“Yes. I didn't want to bring it up while we were eating but--” he cleared his throat. “Haku's been a little overly affectionate with the other boys in his class. In fact, I think he may have a little crush on Naruto.”

They were off playing. I made sure Haku was comfortable playing with Naruto again before we came over. If another issue arose, he knew where to find me

“Haku didn't tell me anything like that.” I watched Hashirama shift under my stare. “But he has told me a thing or two about Naruto.”

“What's he told you?” Hashirama asked eagerly. “We'd all love to hear about their adorable little relationship.”

“Told me to keep it a secret. I keep my word.”

A moment of silence passed through us.

“Trustworthy man.” Hashirama scooted his chair back and stood up. “That's admirable. Now, would anyone like dessert?”

We all nodded and he disappeared into the kitchen.

“I don't mean to scare you away, but I think my dad likes you,” Minato giggled on the other side of the table.

“That would scare anyone away.” Sasuke rolled his eyes. 

“I don't know if age differences freak you out or not, but he's a nice man,” the blond smiled at me. “He's been dealt a rough hand in life.”

I was older than everyone he’s ever known combined. I smirked and leaned back in my seat.

“I've only interacted with him a few times,” I told him. “I think that's too early for anyone to start liking another.”

“Well, he at least thinks you're cute.”

“Is that where the assumption that I'm gay comes from?” 

Minato’s face reddened, “Dad was hoping…”

“Can we talk about something else?” Sasuke snapped. “He obviously isn't interested in Hashirama. We should drop it.”

They were different than Hashirama described. They weren't as happy or compatible with each other. Sasuke looked like he was genuinely unhappy. Maybe this is what Hashirama disagreed with when it came to their relationship. It's a wonder how they made it this far.

“I'm just making conversation,” the blond leaned back in his chair. “Fine, we'll change the subject. Haku seems like a good kid, he gets along well with Naruto. Actually, I've never seen another person get along with him so well.”

“Haku has a way of doing that. Making the lonely not so lonely is something he's been doing since he was a baby.”

Minato brought his hand to his heart and knitted his eyebrows together.

“That's beautiful,” he said softly.

“I've got chocolate cake!” Hashirama came back with a large cake and four plates. “I took two slices up to the boys. They're playing house, it's adorable.”

“I wonder which is the mom,” Minato chuckled.

“They're both boys,” Sasuke said.

“Oh, you know what I mean,” he nudged his husband.

Dessert went by quickly with a series of conversations between Minato and Hashirama. It was quite obvious by the end of the night that Sasuke was ready to go home hours ago. 

While the rest of us sat with glasses of wine, Sasuke clutched a beer and stared at the floor.

“I was thinking about letting Naruto grow his hair out, but I was always on the fence about it. You and Haku wear long hair so well,” Minato's topics started to stop making sense once he downed his third glass.

“It's easy to mistake Naruto for a girl when his hair is long, remember?” Sasuke spoke up.

The same thing happens to Haku from time to time. Strangers would walk up to me and tell me my daughter would be much prettier in a nice pink dress, rather than a pair of ripped blue jeans. I never felt the need to correct them about his gender, but I did tell a few people to fuck off.

“The trick is to stop caring about what others think,” I made eye contact with Sasuke.

“Well, then I won't hesitate in announcing that I'm going to the bathroom.” Minato staggered to his feet. Hashirama jumped up and wrapped an arm around him to support him. 

“I guess I'll help you,” the older man said. “Excuse us.”

Once they left, it was just me and Sasuke.

“It doesn't take much for him, does it?” I asked him.

“I'm leaving once Naruto comes down stairs. Minato can sleep him for the night.”

“For keeping you here?”

“For getting shit faced.” He was angry before Minato's first drink, though. “He's a jackass when he's drunk and Hashirama knows that. That's why he gave him the stuff in the first place.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean Hashirama’s been making my life hell since I was in high school. Tonight was just another one of his elaborate plans to get us to break up.”

“You really think he's that bothered by your relationship?”

“I know he is,” he said. “He's tried everything. Blackmail, threats, attempting to pay me off, causing arguments between us--”

“So, why don't you do it? Seems like you don't even like Minato.”

At that, he exhaled tiredly and shrugged. “I don't know what happened. We were actually good for each other in high scho. The chemistry was off the charts. But Hashirama is insane. After a while, I started holding on to Minato just to spite him.”

“Sounds petty.” Then again, I was ready to kill him, so who was I to talk.

“He's not a good person. I learned that the hard way--after marrying the man he raised and--”

Sasuke was cut off by a crash that came from the hallway. 

“Get the fuck off me!” Minato yelled. I could hear Hashirama trying to quiet him down. When Sasuke and I got to them, they were both on the floor with Hashirama pinning his son down.

“What are you doing to him?”Sasuke shoved Hashirama off.

“He attacked me,” Hashirama moved to his feet. “He came at me with a--with a--”

“A toothbrush?” I raised my eyebrows and picked up the item laying on the ground. “Is this what he attacked with?”

“You can't touch me anymore, you sick fuck!” Minato's words were slurred. He was definitely drunker than he was when he left the living room.

“Minato, you're drunk.” Hashirama tried to speak over him, but Minato kept going.

“You think I don't know your game?” The blond narrowed his eyes. “He told me what you did to him, dad!”

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“You know, I came over because I wanted to believe you'd changed,” Minato's voice cracked. “But then you go right back to your old self. I fucking trusted you with my son and you molested him!”

There it was. The room became quiet.

“Minato, it's not what you think--”

Before he could say anything else, Sasuke tackled him to the ground and started punching.


	4. Chapter 4

“Six kids,” Sasuke told me. “Six kids came forward and told the authorities that Hashirama targeted them as well. Even if he does get out, which I highly doubt, his life is ruined.”

I could stomach Sasuke. No, I actually enjoyed his company. He didn't have anyone to really talk to about the whole ordeal. He didn't what his friends to know about his family business, and Minato was apparently distant. He only worked these days, picking up doubles and sleeping at the office most days.

“Do you think Naruto knows what's going on?”

“Of course he does,” Sasuke said. “Any kid can tell when their family is falling apart.”

“You're not falling apart.”

“I don't love Minato,” he deadpanned. “I've been trying to stomach the relationship for years, despite Hashirama's best efforts and even Minato cheating on me. But this--I don't know if I can handle this.”

“So, you're going to leave Minato and Naruto?”

“Not Naruto.” He shook his head. “Minato's in no position to raise a kid. If it weren't for me, Naruto would be even more messed up than he already is. His social ineptitude, the disabilities, him being molested--I'm afraid to see where he'll land if I left him.”

“I don't think Minato would just let you take him.”

“I know he wouldn't. He thinks I hate the runt.”

“And you don't?”

“I hate what Minato and Hashirama turned him into. He's weak, obnoxious, needy--it's not the way I planned for my son to be.”

I had to laugh at that. “He's a kid. No parent gets their perfect kid, even if we pick them out ourselves.”

My laughter died down when I noticed him staring at my lips. It would have gone unnoticed had he not locked his lips the way he did.

“We should start making their snack,” I suggested.

“Right,” Sasuke stepped away from me and cleared his throat. “Um, I'm sorry.”

“It's fine,” I opened the cabinet to get the peanut butter when a sharp pain shot through me. I vaguely recognized it from something I'd experience almost daily centuries ago. “Shit,” I winced.

“Are you alright?” Sasuke stepped towards me and I held up my hand for him to stop.

“I'm fine, I just--” I looked up and saw a flash of white just outside the window. I gritted my teeth and rolled my eyes. “I'll be back.”

I staggered outside where Orochimaru was waiting for me in my backyard.

“Is that your own twisted way of reconnecting with an old pal?” I asked him, rubbing my sides.

“I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't be held up for too long. I'm in a bit of a time crunch tonight. I've got a message from Asuma.” In all the time I'd been away, Orochimaru remained the same. Not only appearance wise, but the overall vibe he gave off. “He wants to see you.”

“Then he should have come himself.”

“Don't you think you're being a bit petty? Do you even remember why you're fighting?” He tilted his head.

“I know I have no interest in speaking or knowing him.”

“You're too old for such games, Shikamaru.”

“I don't care.”

Orochimaru looked past me at the house and grinned. “Is this your home? Do you have a friend over? Have you been playing house this whole time, Shika?”

“That's none of your business.”

“Can I come in and say hello?” He tried to move past me but I blocked him. “Judging by the way you're acting, I'd say you're lucky Asuma didn't come here himself. My interest in your new life is strictly for curiosity's sake.”

“You still can't come in.”

“That hurts. I should be off now, anyway. I just thought I'd let you know about Asuma--he'll be sending more people if you don't respond to him soon.”

“Whatever, I got it. Now get lost before someone sees you.”

“So rude--see you on the flip side, Shikamaru,” Orochimaru’s form turned into smoke and I thought that was the end of it--until he resurfaced in front of me. “And one more thing...you won't be the only thing he's tracking down.”

“Oh yeah?”

“A weapon. I'm not sure what it is, but I know it's supposed to really valuable. Valuable enough for him to start sending guys immediately.”

“You said he hasn't sent people yet.”

“Not for you,” he specified. “But if someone runs into you while they're looking for that weapon, you might find yourself being tailed a little.”

“Thanks for the heads up. Now scram.”

I walked back inside and shut the door. Orochimaru couldn't come in even if he wanted to. Vampires couldn't enter a private human residence without being invited in by the owners--and the house was in Haku's name.

“What was that about?” Sasuke was in the living room staring at the television when I got in.

“Just a rabbit stuck in the yard,” I muttered. “We should get back to making the food.”

“Already done,” he grinned smugly. “Even cut Naruto's into a circle the way he likes.”

“A circle?”

“Well--a spiral,” he shrugged. “A little symbol he's been drawing since he was a kid.”

“Cute. You know a lot of details about Naruto.” More than I expected him to.

“Well, he's my kid.”

“Point taken.”

“So, I was wondering if you were free on Friday night,” Sasuke started to say. When I looked at him skeptically, he carried on. “I've got a show coming up and I have an extra VIP ticket.”

“A show?”

“Yeah.”

“You in a band?”

“Not really a band,” He said. “We don’t play instruments that often--I’m in a group with a few other guys.”

“So, you’re a musician?” I didn’t see that coming. Sasuke didn’t look like the singing type. Then again, he did fall into the appropriate age range for it. “Why not ask Minato?”

“He’s got work that day and--he’d refuse, anyway. He stopped going to my shows after Naruto was born and I haven’t asked him about it since. So, what do you say? We could get a babysitter for the boys.”

“I--sure. I can come.”

 

~~

 

“I assumed the questions would arise sooner or later.” I didn't know how to deal with this. There was no workshop on ways to diffuse this kind of tension. I sighed and took a long, slow drag from my cigarette before glancing over at my son. I'd raised a perceptive kid. One of my old tricks to keeping people from questioning my age was growing facial hair. A beard added at least five years to my face, which made it easier to stay in one place. But even with the facial hair, Haku could see my face clearly.

“Are you some kind of--supernatural monster?” He furrowed his eyebrows at me. “A lab experiment that got loose? Cyborg?”

“If I was a cyborg, you'd know.”

“I don't know anything about you,” he said. “I don't even know your real age. How old are you, dad?”

“Old.”

He scoffed, “Unbelievable. You've been keeping this from me my whole life. What does that mean for me? Am I human or...something else?”

“You're human,” I assured him. “We're not...biologically related.”

“What?!”

“Haku, calm down.” He'd gotten more difficult to manage since he turned fifteen. Not that I was looking to control him, but we rarely saw things eye to eye anymore. “Let's talk about this rationally.”

“So, I'm adopted?”

“I was going to tell you some time, but--the time never seemed to come.”

“Unbelievable,” he shook his head and stepped away from me. “You've lie to me this whole time.”

“Haku, I'm sorry.” I reached out to him and he jerked back.

“Don't touch me! Don't..” He was moving towards the front door. “Don’t ever come near me again.”

I stood frozen while he opened the door and ran for...God knows where. It was like my body was being weighed down by something--maybe guilt? If I'd been honest, this wouldn't have happened. I had to explain this to him…

There was a crash outside and screaming.

Haku.

When I got to the front door, the car had already sped off with my son screaming out the window. 

 

That’s how we landed in this situation. The police around these parts were useless when it came to missing persons. It didn’t seem to matter to them that I watched my son get kidnapped, they wanted me to wait twenty-four hours before filing a report. According to them, it was very likely that our argument beforehand--which I didn’t give the details about--might have prompted Haku to stage something like this...as if ten seconds was enough time to plan something like this.

“You need to do something about this!” Naruto pounded the desk with his fist and Sasuke rested a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke and Minato got divorced right after Hashirama’s case came to a close. Sasuke got full custody of Naruto, due to Minato’s family history and the fact that he allowed Naruto to stay over a Hashirama after he himself had been abused by the man. I don’t know what happened to Minato, but he and Sasuke only kept in touch these days for Naruto’s sake.

But since Sasuke was raising him, Naruto’s temperament had shifted as time went on. He went from the happy-go-lucky loud, clumsy kid to something even more annoying.

A douche.

“Isn’t this your fucking job?” The blond narrowed his eyes at the flustered cop. “Are cops these days just giant pussies? Is that why you won't do shit?”

“Sir, control your son,” the cop said to Sasuke. 

“No, man up and find my brother!” Naruto snarled.

I think it took both Sasuke and I by surprise. The two of them had gotten closer--they spent nearly all of their time together because of me and Sasuke. And vice versa, obviously. I don’t think a week’s gone by where I haven’t seen Sasuke at least twice.

Of course, Naruto and Haku were like brothers.

“I should take him home,” Sasuke muttered to me. “There’s nothing these guys are going to do, Shika.”

“The hell they will!” Naruto snapped. “I’ll burn th--”

I clamped my hand over his mouth just in time and gave the cop my most apologetic look. Over the years, I’d gotten pretty good at expressing those types of emotions.

“I’m sorry, sir--he’s tired and worried.” I looked at Sasuke. “Let’s go.”

We had to drag Naruto out. Honestly, I felt a little emasculated just walking away from that asshole, but I had to set an example for the kid. And I couldn’t exactly rip his head off in front of everyone. When we got home, Naruto immediate ran up to Haku’s room and slammed the door. Sasuke sighed and looked at me.

“You don’t have to act tough anymore,” He said.

“What?”

“Haku’s missing--if I were in your position, I’d be a wreck.”

“I'm fine. I think the initial shock is over.” To get one thing straight, night creatures didn't usually worry about things for very long like humans did. With such long lifespans, something like this would only bother a regular citizen of the night world for as long as losing a cat would worry them. But I was experienced enough in living with humans that I knew this would affect me differently.

“I'll draw you a bath,” he said.

“Didn't you have a date tonight?” I asked him. 

“You think I'll leave you for some guy?” Sasuke looked a little offended. “Tonight’s been jarring for the both of us. I’ll get your bath ready.”

“Sasuke, I’m fine. I just...need to get my thoughts in order.”

Sasuke visibly huffed and rolled his eyes slightly. “Why’re you acting so calm? Were you this calm when Haku’s mother left?”

I scoffed at that. Right--that was the lie I’d told him. “Haku never had a mother,” I told him. “I stumbled across him one night by chance when he was a baby.”

“What do you mean stumbled? So, he’s adopted?”

“More or less. There are no official papers for when you find a baby in a trashcan. I was just surprised he survived. He was so small and weak and…”

_ Ouch _ . That wasn’t expected.

“Here’s a tissue.” Sasuke held it out to me, but I declined. 

“He’s not my son.”

“He’s as much your son as Naruto is mine,” Sasuke said firmly. “Listen, we’ll find him. I promise you. I won’t stop until he’s home.”

Sasuke Uchiha had a soft spot for me. I think it was safe to say he loved me. Over the years, we’d grown closer as friends, but I saw the way he looked at me. He’d danced around asking me out in the beginning around the time he and Minato were settling their divorce, but I knew when people were on the rebound.

I should put more trust in him. 

“We have to go see someone. Is there someone we can call for Naruto?”

He blinked and picked up his phone. “I could call my brother. He’d be able to come over within a few minutes.”

“It’s a long trip--tell him he’ll be staying overnight.”


	5. Chapter 5

It was easy to find my first lead. Orochimaru was an information broker of sorts. If you wanted information badly enough, he'd usually make an appearance. And right now was no different.

“You're looking as delicious as ever.” He didn't even try to be subtle with the way he licked his lips. If I'd had my way, this moment would have never happened. I kept my new life completely separate from my old one. Orochimaru’s gaze shifted towards Sasuke. “Who is this?”

“Who he is would be--”

“--none of your concern,” Sasuke finished the sentence for me. I’d revealed to him enough information for him to brace himself for Orochimaru. The guy was Asuma’s property, just like a quarter of the Night World. When the war started, everyone assumed all of the vampires would side with Neji. After all, he was the leader of the Blood District, the designated living quarters for a vast majority of vampires. But Asuma’s powers of persuasion was something not many people could rival--if he couldn’t sway you with words, he could always resort to more drastic measures.

“Where’s my son, Orochimaru?”

“Your son?” He mused and for a moment, his eyes turned up to the sky, as if he were dissecting the question. “Ah, you mean the human. Shika, you should know as well as I do that our worlds aren’t meant to mix. It’s surprised me that you’ve kept your little pet for as long as you have.”

“Don’t call him that!” Sasuke stepped forward and I instantly stuck my arm out to stop him. 

“Just tell me where to find him.”

“Hm,” The vampire tapped on his chin. “I might--if you show me that you want the information badly enough.”

There it was. Orochimaru never gave up information without a cost.

“What is it that you want?” I folded my arms across my chest. “And it better be reasonable. You’re not an important enough variable in this to make high demands.”

“How do you know? I could be the one keeping your precious pet captive.”

My muscles tightened. He very well could be the one keeping Haku--this could all be a ploy to get me under his thumb. In the past, I would have taken that into consideration and treaded lightly. But this was different--I may not have been the perfect human, but Haku brought out all of those emotions in me.

I’m the most human when it comes to him.

“What do you want?” I repeated.

“I have an-- _ accomplice _ \--that wants to see you. Nothing too terrible. He’d just like to run a few tests.”

That sounded suspicious--but everything about this creature was suspicious. Orochimaru wasn’t a man--gender aside--no one in the Night World could be called a man or a woman. Those were words reserved for humans. I’d come to that conclusion after living among the humans with Haku.

“I don’t like this,” Sasuke whispered to me.

“Well, your input isn’t needed,” Orochimaru said. “Though if you’d like to stick around, I’m in the market for a new blood bag.”

At that, I gripped the collar of his shirt and pushed him into the brick all of the building we met outside of. Blatantly threatening Sasuke had crossed a line.

“Ah, ah, ah,” He mused. “You don’t want to hurt your only chance of finding your missing item, do you?”

He had a point--though referring to Haku in such a way was still irritating. If I wanted to get anywhere with this being, I’d have to compartmentalize--ignore every obscure, crude comment he made that’d make me want to separate his head from his body.

I squared my jaw and let go of him. “Just show me where to go.”

 

~~

 

“Beautiful, absolutely astonishing!” His hands roamed my body and for some reason, it bothered me more than usual. This wasn’t the first time I’d been on Kabuto’s examination table. But that didn't mean the experience didn't give me chills. Kabuto was as suspicious as Orochimaru--perhaps even more so. He spent all of his time locked in his office, so he treated every new specimen as the next best discovery. “Centuries without any of my treatments and you're still in mint condition.”

“Is that what you call what you did to me?” Treatment was hardly the word I'd use. That would imply he was bettering us in some way. 

I'll give you a breakdown of demon anatomy. A lot of my organs are just for--decoration. No one’s sure where demons originated from, same as how the humans can't seem to agree on where they came from. With that said, there was probably a point in time where us demons used all of these organs that just seem to take up space in our bodies. That would have had to been thousands of years ago, though. 

Kabuto's main objective was to find a way to have those organs function in a way that would increase our strength and durability tenfold. In order to do so, he had a group of fixed test subjects. He'd take out our organs, inject them with whatever serum he had created, and put them back to observe the changes. No one ever died from any testing he did, but some of the effects were long lasting. 

I wasn't one of those subjects. My body ignored nearly anything he gave me--with the exception of one thing out of dozens-- no matter the dosage. That seemed to intrigue him more than anything. I imagine he was disappointed when I left.

“How long is this supposed to take?” The light was annoying, and the scent of sterilizer burned my sensitive nostrils. 

“What's the matter? Afraid Orochimaru will break your friend?” It wasn't my choice to leave Sasuke with Orochimaru. I could read the subtle glances the vampire stole on our way down here, though Sasuke insisted that he would be alright.

“He's tough enough to handle himself.”

“Of course, he is. He's got that look.” Heated breath feathered my outer ear as Kabuto's slender digits ran over my exposed torso. “Doesn't he remind you of someone, Shikamaru?”

Even my name sounded wrong on his tongue.

“I don't know who you're talking about.”

“You mean you still haven't gained your memory?”

That's a strange thing to bring up. “I remember enough about my past.”

“You remember what hasn't been sealed away.”

What?

“You're only a fraction of the man you used to be. Haven't you wondered  _ why _ you can't remember anything?” Kabuto's tongue swiped along his bottom lip. 

“I hope you don't expect me to believe that you're telling the truth.”

“What reason would I have to lie to you, Shikamaru? You were always my favorite specimen. And that...is a good enough reason for me to tell you what it is that Asuma’s done.”

Asuma?

I knew better than to trust this man, but if anyone knew of Asuma's secrets, it would be someone who worked directly underneath him. My body relaxed on the table, giving him the go-ahead that he needed.

“Asuma has people in high places. He can make anything happen if he wants it badly enough. And back then, he wanted you.”

“I didn't meet Asuma till nearly a century of wandering passed.”

“He'd been watching you long before that. You, my good sir, were the apple of his eye. It's why he kept you so close--and why he wants you back so badly.”

“And that's why he took my son.” Asuma knew going after me would get me to come back. But Haku--he must've known I wouldn't just sit around when he was missing.

“He doesn't know how close you are. If he knew you were on my examination table, this conversation wouldn't be happening right now.”

“If you expect me to be thankful, you're going to be severely disappointed.”

“I wouldn't expect such a thing from someone like you,” he chuckled. 

“Someone like me?”

“Someone incapable of feeling any real emotion.” He said the words as if it were common sense. I wouldn’t say I was incapable--I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t feel anything. “You were perhaps my best subject for that reason. The perfect soldier.”

“I’m no soldier.”

“That's what you were engineered for.”

I wasn’t in the mood for this.

“Let’s just get this over with so I can get on with my business. My kid’s life is on the line.”

“Right, right,” He sighed. “Fine--we should be done in a few minutes.”

He only took some of my blood. Apparently, that was all he wanted, but that was the most alarming part. If he’d altered my organs and put them back in, I would know he wanted to perform more of his standard tests. My body have a good chance of rejecting whatever he would come up with, just as it had in the past. But this time, he only took blood. 

He was going to do something with my blood.

I didn’t have time to think too much about it. Right after we finished, he revealed where Asuma’s new compound was. Instead of sticking around to interrogate him further, I went to look for it.

 

~~

 

Asuma looked the same. The exact same, not that I’d expect him to age at all. We were immortal beings. Of all things that could kill us, age wasn’t a factor.

When I was face to face with him, it took me back to all those years ago. Back before I left, when he had me right under his wing. And he looked at me that same way--with that little glint in his eye and a lingering smirk.

“Well, well, well,” His voice came out smoothly as he watched me pace towards him on the couch. With one flick of his wrist, the twenty-odd men he had surrounding him started moving for the door. When they left, he spoke again. “I’m glad you’ve returned.”

“You know why I’m here, Asuma.”

“How’ve you been, Shika?” His tongue brushed his lower lip and he studied me closely. “You look just as good as you did when you left me.”

“Where is he?”

“Answer my question, first.”

There he was, always wanting things to go his way. I didn’t want the small talk. I knew him well enough to know that if I gave in to this one question, he’d just rope me into another one of his games.

But unlike me, he didn’t budge so easily.

“I’ve been fine,” I tucked my hands into my pockets. “Up until now, that is.”

“Why don’t you come sit?” He leaned back on the couch and picked up his feet, setting them on the coffee table in front of him. All of his movements were lazy and carefree, that’s just the image he built up. I knew Asuma well enough to distinguish the individual from the act. Still, I took the seat next to him and listened as he hummed in satisfaction. “Comfortable?”

“I didn’t know you’d sink so low just to get me back here.”

“I’d do anything for you, Shika,” He murmured. “You’re my other half.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“But that’s who you are. After all...” He leaned into me. So close I could feel his breath feathering my neck. “...you and I have the history to prove it.”

“I’m not anything of the sort.”

“You can’t keep rejecting it.” His arm fell around my shoulders. “It’s about time you came back home, baby.”

“I’m not your baby. I’m not gay, Asuma.”

“That doesn’t matter. As long as you have the ability to carry children, you’ll do what you were made to do.”

There he goes again. That’s not the only reason I left, but it was a big reason. Kabuto had implanted the womb and ovaries of one of his past subjects in me. It took a while for my body to take, but once it did Asuma was quick to attempt to claim me. 

And the night he tried to rape me was the last time I saw him.

“All signs point to you being one of a kind. Fit for a king.”

“You’re no king.”

“Of course, I am. I’ve got everyone under my command. Well, everyone except you. But that’s where that kid come in handy.”

“Give him back.”

“Funny, you left because you didn’t want to carry my children, and then you go and obtain one yourself. Do you know how embarrassing that was? I had to kill three of my best men because of the snide comments.”

“Sounds like a personal problem.”

“Listen to me.” His grip on my wrist was tight and his voice hardened. “This is a position that can only be filled by you. Now, stop these games, Shika.”

“Stop calling me that. Shikamaru--not Shika.”

“Shikamaru---Haku--where do you come up with these names?”

“That’s enough!” I slammed my fist down on the table. “Tell me where he is.”

“All you have to do is agree to come back and I’ll tell you whatever you want. It’s as simple as that.”

It was never that simple. Asuma never told the whole truth. If I agreed to this, it’d open the door for all of his other demands. Hell, he mind not even let Haku go.

No. If I wanted to get him back, I’d have to do it my way.

“Asuma,” I spoke, standing up. “I came here to get my son back, that’s it. I’m not bending to any desire you have. I didn’t back then, and I’m not now. So, we can do this the easy way or we can do it the hard way.”

“Are you threatening me?” He growled.

“I’m warning you. I’m not playing your games.”

He raised his eyebrows and a beat of silence passed through us. A muscle in his eyebrow twitched and he narrowed his eyes.

“I could kill him.”

“You’re not that dumb. Because if I find out that you harmed a hair on his head, there will hell to pay. And it’s not smart to go around making more enemies while you’re in the middle of a war.”

He scoffed. “We’ll see about that.” He snapped his fingers and the door opened. I recognized one of the two guys who stepped in. His name was Kisame, he was one of Asuma’s right-hand men back then. The other seemed quieter, smaller too. “Kisame and Suigetsu will escort you out.”

“I’m not leaving without him.”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time. But here’s the thing, Shika--I don’t like to just give up my toys. Especially not one as shiny and that one. I don’t know where you found him, but I see the appeal. I’ll be keeping him around a little longer. Kabuto has been looking for more subjects, after all.”

No. No. Fuck, I couldn’t let that happen. A human couldn’t survive what Kabuto put us through. His organs were vital--they were going to kill him.

“You’ll be sorry,” I said. I couldn’t fight him here. I’d lose and there would be no one to rescue Haku. “You’ll be fucking sorry, Asuma.”


	6. Chapter 6

I could hear Sasuke’s breathing stifle when his fist went through the wall. I wanted to tell him to calm down. Tell him that if Naruto were to come downstairs and see him like this, he’d be able to put two and two together.

The ride home was painful. Six hours of Sasuke pressuring me to tell him what happened. I kept my mouth shut the whole way. If he knew what Asuma planned to do to him, he would have demanded to turn the car around. 

I’d rather him be pissed off and safe than pissed off and charging towards death.

“Sasuke, calm down,” I sighed. “Please--for Naruto.”

“How can you be so fucking calm?” He ripped his hand from the wall, a trail of dust and drywall following. “It's like you don't even care.”

“We don't need Naruto to stress about this.”

“Stress about what?” His voice made both of us flinch. How long had he been standing in the doorway. Both Sasuke and I looked at him with mouths agape from the other side of the counter.

“You're supposed to be in bed.” Sasuke struggled to steady his breathing. If anything, it just made us look worse.

“We're just talking,” I told him. “Nothing to worry about.”

“Doesn't look like that from where I'm standing. Tell me where Haku is.” He paces further into the kitchen. Judging by the tussled yellow mop on his head, we'd actually woken him up. “Why isn't he here?”

“It's complicated, Naruto.” I said.

“What's so complicated about it?”

“Just go back to sleep and let us handle it.” As soon as Sasuke made the remark, Naruto's body tensed.

“I'm sixteen. You don't have to treat me like a fucking baby, dad.”

“What did you say to me?”

“This isn't about just you guys. Haku's my family, too. I deserve to know where he is.” There wasn't much faith in Naruto taking the news well. Not the lie, nor the truth. But we had to find some way to get him off our backs like this. What should I say? Historically, I've been good at lying to him about minor things like going to the dentist when he was young or keeping up that whole Santa Claus charade that Sasuke insisted on.

I'd started to feel bad after a while--that was a tradition that Haku never had the joy of experiencing. Not until Sasuke explained it further to me.

But right now, I found that I couldn't look this boy in the eyes and lie to him so easily about this subject.

“The trail ran cold. We lost him.” I swallowed the lump in my throat and watched as Naruto’s facial expression solidified. Sasuke had raised a terrifying kid.

“Meaning you didn't look hard enough,” he said. “This is a small town. Unless he's on the moon or underground, this shouldn't be so fucking hard.”

Why was this child making me feel so incompetent? He'd come a long way from the weird kid I'd met. Even Sasuke noticed the differences, though he seemed to prefer him this way. 

In Sasuke's words, he was a real Uchiha, now.

“I’m getting pants,” The blond muttered, turning on his heel to leave the room. What more could we stay to him? He was right in the sense that he was old enough to make most of his own decisions. 

He loves him. And humans will do the damnedest things for the people they love. I could only sigh and lean against the counter when he left. None of us were likely to get any sleep tonight, but I couldn’t take Naruto back to where I knew Haku was. I looked to Sasuke for some sort of clarification on the subject, but they way his head was pressed against the wall and his shoulders were still heaving told me he wouldn’t be much help at all.

“He’s headstrong,” I said to him. “Reminds me of someone else I know.”

“You mean he’s a dick,” Sasuke replied. “Honestly right now, I’m wondering if I should have just let Minato take him. He seemed to be happier back then.”

“He’s happy, now. If he didn’t cherish what he’s got, he wouldn’t be so angry right now. It’d be unsettling if he kept a straight face through all of this. But he’s right, though. He’s sixteen.”

“So, he should be able to go off and fight demons?”

“He should be treated as if what he says has merit. We left him with a babysitter and went off without him. Of course, he’s mad.”

“So, what should we do, now?” Sasuke turned to face me, wiping away what I assume were tears of frustration. “You’re from--there. Don’t you have some connections? Someone you can call that could give us some leverage against him?”

“There aren’t many people that openly cross Asuma. He’s more or less a Kingpin--I hate to admit it, but we’ll have to look into going to someone equally as dangerous for help.”

“If that’s what we need to do, then so be it.”

The only person I could think of speaking to was an old friend named Gaara. He was the leader of the Soul District, home to the Undead. Most people would call them Zombies, but I’ve realized since living among the humans that they seemed to have a different idea about what a zombie actually was. 

They were soulless, like demons. But unlike us, they had solid outer shells. They couldn’t travel through darkness like demons, they didn’t drink blood like vampires, and they didn’t had the uncontrollable urge to maul people like the werewolves. Zombies were individuals who had souls at one point, but one thing lead to another and they found themselves empty. 

On the bright side, it was easier to take a zombie apart than any other being, simply because they could survive anything as long as their brain wasn’t reduced to ash. And even then, there was always the slim chance of regeneration.

I crossed through the Soul District before I left. Gaara caught word of me being there and sent someone to track me down. He assumed I was just a spy for Asuma at first. But when I reluctantly revealed to him what Asuma wanted from me--leaving out certain details--he decided to let me go.

“And this Gaara guy can help us?” Sasuke asked me.

“It’s worth a shot to ask,” I replied. “The hardest part would be getting to him. Gaara’s got the smallest district, but that makes it the most difficult to infiltrate. Everyone knows everything.”

“So, what do you suggest?”

“Well...he’s fascinated with humans.”

“So, I’m going to be the one to get us in?”

“More or less.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“No, you’re not getting it,” I sighed. Gaara was interested in humans, but only because he kept them as toys, from what I heard. Just because he would be useful to us didn’t mean he was a kind individual. In fact, you don’t get to be a district leader by playing nice. It was only when the previous leader is removed--usually by force--that a new one could take the seat. With Gaara being the newest and youngest of all the district leaders, most people in his district knew how he came to power.

Apparently he decapitated the previous leader and ate his head, brain included. People believe that the old man’s brain started to regenerate while Gaara was eating him. That somehow, it was able to regenerate inside of Gaara’s body and become a part of him.

When I went to see him, he would always make offhanded comments to someone--someone that wasn’t me.

Wouldn’t it be something if his father existed solely in his head, now?

Naruto came back downstairs a few minutes later, which gave Sasuke and I enough time to bicker over whether or not to take him.

I was on the fence about it, to put it simply. Whereas Sasuke strictly opposed the idea. I understood where he was coming from--this was dangerous. But Naruto would just go out looking for trouble if we left him here. Not to mention Asuma was bound to send someone after me sooner or later. He didn’t take threats too kindly.

“You can go,” I finally said after we’d finished debating. “You’ll probably be safer with us.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Naruto asked defensively. Poor kid was always on edge about his fragile masculinity. “I can protect myself.”

“Shut up, Naruto,” Sasuke growled. “Get in the car.”

 

~~

 

_ “You're beautiful, my child,” the voice spoke to me and it sounded as if it were in a dream. I could feel the warmth radiating from this perfect source, the most glorious beam of light I had ever seen.  _

_ It it was absolutely terrifying and overwhelming at the same time. Unaware of how I got here or where the others were, I found myself not caring. I was face to face with this being--this individual that had no solid form but a presence all around me. I didn't know whether to cower or stretch out my arms and show this being what the product of their labor was. _

_ This is where I came from. _

_ “You're on your way,” the voice said. “You're getting so...so close…” _

_ “Wait.” My lips were dry and I tried to reach out and grasp at the light before it could retreat. “Wait, I need help.” _

_ “You are on your way,” it said again. _

_ “Wait!” If this is where I came from, I couldn't let it get away so easily. After so long of search for a purpose--searching for the place I once called home--how could I let it get away? Everyone wanted to know about their origins, no matter what they tell you. We want to know where we came from because in a way, we feel like that can determine where we’re going.  _

_ I’m going to forget this when I wake up. That’s the saddening part. I always forget this, like clockwork. _

_ “Where do I come from?” I asked it blatantly. “Please--just tell me!” _

_ “You know the answer to your question. You found it a short time ago.” _

_ What was that supposed to mean? Time was something that had always confused me--my concept of time was different than others. I’ve lived through centuries. What the hell was a ‘short time ago’? What am I supposed to do with that?! _

_ “Keep calm,” it said. “You will find what you’re looking for. He has found you once, now it’s time for you to find him.” _

**_Wake up, Shikamaru._ **

**Author's Note:**

> So, there will be smut in later scenes (maybe between older Haku and Shikamaru) and relationships between characters won't be the same as the canon relationships, same with their ages.


End file.
